Public health: medical waste.

Existing law establishes various programs for the prevention of disease and the promotion of health to be administered by the State Department of Public Health, including, but not limited to, administration of the Medical Waste Management Act relating to the regulation of medical waste, including, but not limited to, provisions related to the treatment, containment, and storage of medical waste. The act authorizes the consolidation into a common container specified medical waste, biohazardous waste, and sharps waste, if the consolidated waste is treated by an approved extremely high heat technology, as specified. The act requires the container to be labeled with the biohazardous waste symbol and the words "HIGH HEAT ONLY" or other label approved by the department. This bill would authorize the reuse of a common container for specified wastes and would require the consolidated waste to be treated by either incineration at a permitted medical waste treatment facility or with an alternative technology, as specified. This bill would, in relation to the label requirement, authorize the use of the word "INCINERATION" in addition to the words "HIGH HEAT ONLY" or other label approved by the department.